This article completely marginalizes your original point and focuses on completely different rationale.
Teams didn’t “see the writing on the wall” because his fastball dropped within any margin of error from one year over the other.
It was a shitty take, a perfect microcosm of the hindsight fan looking to incite with a shit take.
It’s not brave to come on here and brag about how you knew it all along after every bad start, or say stupid things like a “colon-trade” which I’m not exactly sure what that means but he was dealt for one Top 100 prospect at the time (20 fucking years ago).
Think we’re a little done with that bullshit.
My God are you an insufferable asshole.
The article clearly stated the drop in velocity and increase in hard hit contact; the two reasons I cited in an earlier post about why Kluber was starting to decline.
Further, I cited Baseball Savant in another post showing his current standing in velocity and hard hit contact for 2019.
In terms of the Colon-type offer, I cited it as an example of the type of haul the Indians were reportedly searching for this offseason (blue-chip prospects with years of cost control).
Not only couldn't they get multiple high-end prospects, they couldn't get one according to Ken Rosenthal:
"According to sources, the Indians wanted at least one of the Reds’ top two prospects — infielder Nick Senzel and
outfielder Taylor Trammell — for right-hander Corey Kluber. But rather than trade from the top of their farm system, the Reds have parted with players who are less than sure things."
https://theathletic.com/777766/2019...ras-what-the-dodgers-are-thinking-more-notes/
The ol' "thanks but no thanks." Clearly, rival teams saw something less than ideal in projecting Kluber's production for the next three yeas on his deal.
Not impressed with some rube like me spreading heresy? How about venerable reporter Jonah Keri?
Here's a quote from an article he posted before the season about his player rankings:
"It’s crushing to have to drop the two-time Cy Young winner from the list. But as one National League talent evaluator said about the soon-to-turn-33-year-old-ace: “Big velo drop in September, workload and age concerns, owed real money (3/52 with escalators that have kicked in).” Cleveland shopped Kluber this winter, but couldn’t get anything close to what the team hoped to land."
https://theathletic.com/874585/2019/03/19/keri-the-2019-mlb-trade-value-rankings-part-1/
Are Rosenthal and Keri "hindsight fans"?